FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

THA, regional group join to tackle skilled labour woes

THA, regional group join to tackle skilled labour woes

The Thai Hotels Association is strengthening its ties with hotel operators in Southeast Asia to solve the shortage of skilled labour, which has become common across the region at the time of a tourism boom.

The problem was raised recently at a meeting between the THA and the Asean Hotel and Restaurant Association. They agreed to cooperate on finding solutions and securing the long-term development of the regional hospitality industry, THA president Surapong Techaruvichit said.
Singapore has long faced a shortage, while Thailand has started to feel the pinch. Both have experienced fast-growing tourism. 
At present, most Thai hotel operators employ 85-90 per cent of their workforce to complete daily tasks because they cannot find skilled workers to fill in. Instead, they choose to improve the skills of their existing workers through training programmes.
Under the principle of Asean cooperation, the groups will work together more closely. The CLMV nations (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam) have a large number of unskilled workers. Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia will help provide recruitment programmes to improve their skills.
It is hoped that the Thai government will play a supporting role in this initiative as well. In the early stage, the THA talked to Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong, urging the government to provide financial support and promote the scheme in the regional arena. Also, regulations should be eased to enhance the flow of skilled labour in Thailand.
In 2015, such efforts will bear fruit at the time of the opening of the Asean Economic Community, Surapong said.
While the baht is strong, he also asked the government to encourage Thais to travel more in Southeast Asia than in other regions. The more Thais travel in the region, the more regional economic prosperity grows. Eventually, benefits will fall to Thailand, with the growing number of regional travellers coming here.
Meanwhile, the government should offer tax incentives for those hotel operators wanting to renovate their properties. The stronger baht will help them save costs from importing materials.  
At present, Thailand’s hospitality outlook remains upbeat, with an increasing room-occupancy rate. 
So far, the strengthening of the baht has not hurt the business outlook. Also, no threat to the industry has emerged. And there is no sign of political chaos either. 
To secure the industry’s growth, however, the association also asked for the government to minimise risk by not relying heavily on any foreign market for tourist arrivals to Thailand. 
nationthailand